The present invention relates generally to improvements in cameras equipped with data photographing devices, and it relates more particularly to an improved camera which allows the recording of data such as a photographing date, exposure condition and the like.
A data photographing system is known, in which an image of an object and an image of data are photographed on a film in superimposed relation. In this respect, in case the object light is highly intense, then the contrast between the data image and the image of an object is low, so that the data is difficult to recognize and read or cannot be recognized or read at all. To cope with this, a system has been proposed, in which object light incident on the data photographing portion is blocked or shielded by a mask plate. According to this system, object light as well as data light are focused on a film from the same side, as described in the Japanese Utility Model Application. Laid-open No. 51-11042 issued on Jan. 27, 1976 or Patent Application Laid-open No. 51-57436 issued on May 19, 1976, and a mask member is provided in front of the data photographing portion of the film for blocking object light, and a mirror inclined to a film plate is provided on the back of the mask member, whereby the data light is reflected by the mirror so as to direct the light onto the film plane. However, this system suffers from the shortcoming in that when the mask member or plate is brought as close as possible to the film plane, the mask must be inclined at a very large angle to the film plane for directing the data light being incident in parallel with the film plane onto the film plane, while the distance of the mask plate to such a portion of the film plane, which is away from the mask plate, is greatly increased. Accordingly, an image of the mask plate is gradually blurred on the mask plate from its portion closer to the film plate towards its portion away from the film plane, so that the contrast of an image of the mask plate relative to the data image is lowered. For this reason, the data image is difficult to observe, with the resulting failure to obtain a desired fine picture.